Trade
by ColdestDays
Summary: Alternate ending for One for the Money. What if Stephanie had another visitor after Morelli that night? Maybe the series would have ended up a little more Babe focused... One-shot.


_A/N Thanks for taking a chance and opening this story up! It's my first try at FF in years so I'm feeling a little rusty. Any comments, especially constructive ones, are most welcome. Hope you enjoy!_

_All characters belong to JE._

I let Morelli out shortly after midnight. We finished the game, pizza, and the six pack. He had stopped by earlier bringing with him the pizza and beer. Afterwards, he spent the majority of the evening making me blush with sexually suggestive comments. I'd like to think he stopped by to check up on me, but I'd put my money on him checking in to see if I was up for a repeat of what happened behind the eclair case. My first thought was to be offended but who was I kidding? Had I not had 17 stitches in my ass I probably would have been open to that plan, my continuing dry spell being a huge factor in this decision.

It had been a long few weeks and I was utterly exhausted. The good news was I had a new job which I had potential to be decent at considering I had managed to catch Morelli and received a payday of a cool 10k. The bad news was that I had almost been killed and had killed someone else in the process. Deep down, I knew that I didn't have a choice but that hadn't stopped the nightmares of the last four nights.

I began the ritual of getting ready for bed. I was moving a little slower than usual, I knew the second I was asleep the nightmares would start again. Lula tied up on my balcony, the fear from Jimmy Alpha and Benito Ramirez, and the horror that I had taken another life. I was startled when a another knock came at my door.

"Uggggh," I grumbled and stumbled to the door. I looked out the peephole and saw Ranger, his shoulder was leaning against the door frame, his bulging arms were crossed against his chest, and one ankle was crossed over the other. He was dressed in black, his hair tied at the base of his neck, and he had an intense look on his face.

I couldn't explain it, but as soon as I saw Ranger in the hall, I was instantly at ease. Who the hell was at ease with a bounty hunter that looked like that on the other side of the door? Crazy people, that's who. Even with Joe here I still felt a little on edge, that Alpha or Ramirez would jump through the window any minute and get me. But as soon as I saw that chiseled face, I finally felt safe in my apartment. I unlocked the door and opened it.

"Yo," he said, and before I was able to invite him in, he walked right past me and into my living room. I was more than a little mortified that Ranger was in my apartment, mostly due to the fact I was still missing a couch and the TV was the small portable one that Joe had brought by earlier. I'd hawked pretty much all my possessions to make rent as of late and was definitely in no place to host visitors. Unless all they wanted was a margarita that I could do... if they brought their own tequila.

I followed him into the embarrassment that was my living room. I watched as Ranger's eyes traveled down my body and I became a little self-conscious. I didn't think to check to see what I was wearing when I heard the knock at my door. Apparently I should have since I was only wearing a little tank top and shorts.

"How's your ass?" he asked, casually.

"I'll live. Your leg?" I had called Ranger to come to my rescue when a skip stole my purse. I got my purse back, but Ranger came out with a hole in his leg.

"Nothing I won't bounce back from." He held up the check from Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. "This belongs to you." I had also given him the capture money, save for $50 which I invested in an answering machine.

I shook my head. "You had to come to my rescue and ended up getting shot in the process. That check is yours."

He looked around my sparsely furnished apartment. "Babe, I think you're in need of this cash more than I am."

"And how would I know that? Maybe your place is as depressing as mine."

He laughed at that. "It probably is, but at least it's by choice. My bank account is doing just fine."

He tried to hand me the check and I stepped away from him. "Ranger, I know you're trying to do what you consider to be the right thing, but I'm not taking that money and if I can teach you anything about me, it's that I'm stubborn as hell and don't take hand outs."

His eyes narrowed at me and he thought for a second. "What about a trade?"

My eyebrows shot up. "What kind of trade?"

He closed the distance between us so we were standing toe to toe. His eyes were dark and I could feel the heat radiating off his muscular body. I wasn't dead, I knew how attractive Ranger was. But throughout the last few weeks, I hadn't really thought of him as anything more than a friend and mentor. With him standing in front of me like this, I decided there was a definite sexual attraction. I could feel myself getting warm and a blush rising in my cheeks.

"What kind of trade?" I repeated, a little breathless.

His head leaned down a little and his lips stopped right next to my ear. His voice was husky and his breath was warm. "I'll keep the check and you go out on a date with me."

"A date?" I asked, stepping away from him.

He nodded. "A date."

I eyed him for a few beats. A date with Ranger? Part of me was screaming NO! there was something dangerous about this man, and while I knew he wouldn't hurt me, I'm not sure it was the wisest decision to be involved with him. What had Joe said to me earlier? _Ranger ignores the law._ But my mouth didn't want to listen to that part of my brain.

I let out a breath of air. "Okay."

"Friday night, seven o'clock," he said.

I nodded in agreement. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's past my bed time."

Ranger smirked at me and let himself out of my apartment. I locked the door and pulled the chain back across the door and headed to bed.

A date with Ranger. I still wasn't really sure if this was a good idea but as I was drifting off to sleep, I realized I wasn't afraid of the nightmares. Even though I was sure the nightmares would come, I had a feeling that a certain man in black was going to come to my rescue and save me.


End file.
